Wilhelm Stekel: The Mark Of The Immature Man

According to Wilhelm Stekel, “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” Although one could disagree with the quote through the argument that by dying nobly for a cause, the cause would gain attention from others and strengthen, I believe that by living for a cause, one possesses the ability to contribute far more in their lifetime and spread the ideas of the cause more effectively with continued efforts. Stekel’s interpretation of the distinction between the mature and the immature proves to be accurate when considering the nature of modern society. The primary differences between the mature and the immature include the intentions behind their actions, as well as the results of the actions. Based on the phrase, “live humbly,” Stekel insinuates that in mature individuals, the desire to help their cause acts as the motivation behind their behavior , regardless of recognition from others. In other words, he claims that the mature

In order to fully understand this argument, one must contemplate the exemplification which was examined earlier. Essentially, by forfeiting one’s life to a cause, attention surrounding the cause itself begins to build. Naturally, the public will wonder what cause would be worth a life. Consequently, like-minded individuals will stumble upon the cause and join the efforts. The momentum that will have resulted from the act have the ability to facilely surpass long-term efforts. However, this precarious success fails to prove the presence of maturity. In reality, the individual could have easily neglected to foresee this success for the cause, instead focusing on their perception by the